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II KÂNDA, 2 ADHYAYA, 4 BRÂHMANA, 5.
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duced ?' He toiled and performed acts of penance. He generated Agni from his mouth; and because he generated him from his mouth, therefore Agni is a consumer of food : and, verily, he who thus knows Agni to be a consumer of food, becomes himself a consumer of food.
2. He thus generated him first (agre) of the gods; and therefore (he is called) Agni, for agni (they say) is the same as agri. He, being generated, went forth as the first (půrva); for of him who goes first, they say that he goes at the head (agre). Such, then, is the origin and nature of that Agni.
3. Pragâpati then considered, 'In that Agni I have generated a food-eater for myself; but, indeed, there is no other food here but myself, whom, surely, he would not eat. At that time this earth had, indeed, been rendered quite bald; there were neither plants nor trees. This, then, weighed on his mind.
4. Thereupon Agni turned towards him with open mouth; and he (Pragâpati) being terrified, his owngreatness departed from him. Now his own greatness is his speech : that speech of his departed from him. He desired an offering in his own self, and rubbed (his hands); and because he rubbed (his hands), therefore both this and this (palm) are hairless. He then obtained either a butter-offering or a milkoffering ;—but, indeed, they are both milk.
5. This offering), however, did not satisfy him, because it had hairs mixed with it. He poured it away into the fire); saying, 'Drink, while burning (osham dhaya) l' From it plants sprang: hence their name 'plants (oshadhayah).' He rubbed (his hands) a second time, and thereby obtained another
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